Communion

Is communion the sharing of a meal between believers who are using the opportunity to commune with one another and remember the body and blood of Jesus? Is is a Holy thing consisting of special bread and special wine that represents or even becomes the body and blood of Jesus?

I have heard the scriptures taught to say both ways. I have not done in depth study, but it seems even when people have they come out of it with whatever it was they presupposed the answer to be.

I know the Lords supper recorded in scripture was the passover meal. It consisted of more than just bread and wine. When Jesus said, "as often as you do this, do it in remembrance of me" did He mean as often as you celebrate passover? Did He mean as often as you eat food together as believers? Did He mean as often as you share this ceremonially special piece of bread and wine?

I would love to know the real answer to this question, but I'm not sure if anyone knows it. Maybe we should do it all.

Maybe we should remember that Jesus is the true passover lamb as we celebrate the passover annually. Maybe we should remember His blood and body every time we gather as believers for a meal. Maybe we should remember Him during the ceremony with the special bread and special wine whenever we do that.

I would guess that the one that makes the least sense would be the special bread and wine celebration. Yet, that seems to be the one that is mostly taking place within the christian body, Protestant and Catholic.

Makes me wonder still....

Palin

You know why everyone likes to make fun of Sarah Palin? Because she is an example of the majority of Americans who get up in the morning and go to work to provide for there family, and raise there kids the best way they know how. We don't care that much about all the rest of the crap that people like McCain and Obama and Biden do because we are busy trying to get by. This is also the reason people get away with making fun of her because we are just those little people that don't make a fus, we just get things done and keep this country going. We don't expect anything from our government except to leave us alone and allow the Military to do there job protecting the sovereignty of this great country, which we love rather than hate by the way. She represents people who have the audacity to think that a human life is worth whatever it takes to care for and keep alive and healthy, regardless of how inconvenienced we may be by it. She is just one of us who has fought her way through the politicians, lawyers, sexism and disdain that the elite of this country has for the people who accually work to make it a better place. I'm sad the see the way people have been treating her. She is our Mr. Smith. I hope that one way or another she will be Madam President Palin by 2012. Then maybe the people will have an advocate in the Whitehouse.

Question

Should a Christian pastor encourage people to pray to there demonic gods? If what we believe is true, the Bible says that the false gods of the world are powered by demons, fallen angels, whatever you want to call them. So, when a Christian person, pastor or not, is in a multi religious setting, leading a prayer is it appropriate to encourage the people to pray to there demon gods?

I have noticed this happening a lot lately. I know some of these people may only be pretending to be a follower of Jesus but some I think are true believers and are swayed by the all inclusive, tolerance based society that the US has become. Opening prayers, closing prayers, joint prayers with Muslim Clerics, Buddhist Monks, Hindu leaders, Etc., it happens more frequently these days. Another point would be too, if you are praying joint, "ecumenical" prayers with these others, what god are you actually praying to? I know each of them would be quick to say that they are not praying to Jesus, the tri-une God. So why is it a problem for Christians to say I am not going to give the demon gods the same due and True God?

Just some thoughts...

Is the sky falling?

I noticed the last two weeks or so I haven't been freaking out about the presidential race and the state of the country like usual. It seems to have happened at the same time that everyone else is going nuts about the "economic crisis". I think it's funny that all of a sudden it doesn't bother me. I'm thinking God took that anxiety from me for a reason right when everyone else would freak. I still think it is a bad idea for the federal government to intervene in private business, but hey they don't seem to care what we think. I think something that has changed for me the last few weeks is that I realized, like very few American Christians have, that our God has been at work long before this country came to existence and will still be in control after it's gone. I don't know if this country will recover, become insignificant in the world or be conquered by another country. What I have decided is that it doesn't matter much to me, God sent pagan empires to conquer the chosen nation of Israel, why would we think that we are more protected than they were. I don't think these things matter much to God. He sees the big picture and the smallest details of His chosen ones all.
I have allowed myself to stress out and become distracted by the things this country has to offer. We need to realize that the USA is not Gods chosen nation, Jesus made His kingdom open to every nation and every person who is willing. We just happen to live here. It is a great place likely the greatest on the planet and it would be sad to see such a good thing end or diminish. If that is what God chooses to do, or more likely if it is what we allow to happen, then who are we to complain. The majority of Christians on the planet and throughout history have lived and dies outside of this country and it's privileges.
So if we really believe what we say we really believe then it shouldn't matter much if the stock market crashes, the mortgage companies go bankrupt, or get bought out by our new socialist government. None of that is our salvation, Jesus is our salvation and there is no substitute. I believe that the people who founded this great country knew the greatness of the Kingdom of God and they tried to set up a reflection of that Kingdom here. That ideal seems so long ago. Just like the Israelites of old, when enough generations pass, they start to forget where they came from, and who it was that brought them out of slavery and into the great land.
So, I'm not gonna stress out, I have my druthers but there are a lot of people in this land that want something different. That may all be part of the plan for all I know, so why worry.
If we really believe what we say we really believe it shouldn't be that big of a problem for anyone else either. Don't you think.

The Truth Project

I went to training this weekend for the Truth Project. It seems like it will be a great experience.
Some of the things that are presented in the curriculum are things that God has spoken to me in the last few months I think that is really cool when He does that, then confirms it through someone else like that.
The premise of the curriculum is that we have been and are bombarded by a world view contrary to the biblical view. So much so that most people who call themselves Christians don't think along the lines of what the Bible actually says. The church seems to have been conformed to the world. This is simply a systematic presentation of comparisons in worldview. Truth and Lies are pointed out in a clear manner. It is right up my ally. I hope everyone else feels the same way.
I am going to be leading a small group through this "study" as soon as we work out the details of time, place and such. I just found out about all this, this week. I got a call about leading a group, and getting trained to teach this curriculum all the same day. I spent all day Saturday at the church for the seminar then stayed for the weekend service afterwards. I got to hang out and talk to some people, it is very cool to actually be getting to know some other Christians, I would love to be able to have some believing friends that I could share some of my thoughts with and discuss things deeper. That would be great, I am hoping this all works out, and it seems to be so far.
I have been away from God for so long, ministry and Christians even longer, I didn't think I would enjoy going back so much.

Anglican

I was doing some searching and reading today about the Anglican church. What I found was a lot of very interesting stuff that I didn't know. This started by reading a post by the iMonk where he mentioned having a set of Anglican prayer beads. I did a search and then some more. I found that they don't recognize the Pope as there head, that I already knew. Surprising to me I found that they don't believe in purgatory, the immaculate conseption, transubstantiation, and they allow priests to marry. They have only two sacriments, the same two as protestants; Baptism and Communion. They consider Mary to be the highest of the saints but they don't require prayer to her, just respect. There seems to be a lot of variety and flexibility amongst different segment of Anglicanism.

One thing I wondered is, "If we have Anglicanism what is the real need for Protestantism?" I'm sure there would be a big list of reasons but I know my biggest problems with Catholism is the Mary as intorcessor, purgatory, transubstantiation, requiring celebacy for priests, and the whole Pope thing. There are others too, like priests as intercessors when Jesus is our intercessor and high priest, prayer to saints. That might be it.

Another question I was having today is; "If something like the Anglican church as it exists today is a good choice/option/compromise, Does the reason for it's existance matter in the decission?"

Even if it were found that it was the best option, does the fact that the reason that it exists is because the King needed a way to bypass the rules of the Pope so he could marry someone that he wasn't allowed to marry?

So if something good were to end up coming out of a sinful decision is the final thing to be judged according to what it is, or by the sinful act that resulted in the final existance?

Any input?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglican

My Church

My church is right now in an iffy place. It is kinda a smallish medium "mega church". The pastor is pretty good though about not wanting to do the "mega seeker church thing". He tries, but I think he is not the only one making decissions and sometimes some of that stuff slips through. He has made it clear lately to the church that he has recently decided that of the two ways to go, "Seeker/Mega" or Gods way, he is gonna go Gods way. I have accually been impressed and started bringing my Bible to church again cause we accaully use it now. He is trying to get people to "really" worship God, in community and not just clap and sing the words to songs. They are also right now prepping people to lead more small home groups, but this time as shepherds not facilitators. That should be good. I tend to lean more toward finding a roll in a church and work under someones authority than to just go out and start something new and unaccountable. I have been through that phase in my past, almost an entire church was destroyed through that endevour and I'm not sure how many of the people involved are still faithful to God. I know I wasn't for a few years and am now just getting back to him. At least He is always willing to take me back. I hope that I never leave Him again like that. Anyway, so my church is kinda in a middle place I like the direction that the pastor is pointing and I pray that God would continue to protect him against the ones who might want to put a stop to it and take us back the other direction. I think it would be cool to have a "mega church" that is full on in the right direction. Thats the way they do it in South Korea, so it can be done.

Mission Space

We went to Epcot this weekend. I havn't been there in at least 15 years. I went on the sissy version of mission space. It was totally fine, I'm thinking I might could do the real thing next time, I just want to get the DR. to say my heart is ok first, I like rides but none of them are worth accually dieing over. I think the flight simulator I did at Kennedy Space Center pulled more Gs than Mission Space but I want to make sure first. Other than that it was a cool trip, the park has changed a lot and I got lost at least 8 times. I remember there not being much to do there, we didn't even get to 85% of the park.

old, new, maybe

Are there really some people today who are just now figuring out the truth of christianity and the church? Has every christian church leader since Peter been wrong until now? Yes there are some problems with the church today, but should it be discarded?

What about the pagan roots of some christian practices? Is it because the christians came out on top and the pagan converts brought along there stuff into there christian practices? Is it some sort of sneeky back door trick of the devil to bring the church down from the inside?

Whatever reason things are the way they are is it that big a deal? Maybe it is a huge deal and requires drastic changes on our part to set things right. Maybe we should just find what is comfortable for us personally and disregard the new people who now have it right after 2000 years?

Who really knows the truth? Are we able to figure out who is right? Has anyone asked the head of the church what He thinks?

I don't know, was just thinking.

wikipedia

Wikipedia info.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_God_in_Judaism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetragrammaton

LORD - YHWH

I was just thinking, the Psalms are songs right? At least most of them and they say song of.... right in the title of most. According to the Bible translation notes in the front of a lot of Bibles it says that the propper name of God "YHWH" is translated as "LORD" or in some cases "GOD". Now my question came up when I noticed that "LORD" appears pretty frequently in the Psalms. Aren't songs sung? Havn't we also heard that the word "YHWH" was considered by Jews to be too holy to be spoken verbally? If this is the case what was done with this word when singing the Psalms/songs. I have never heard this discussed by anyone before. Since they would be reading and singing it in Hebrew they wouldn't use the word "LORD" like we do. Any input?

Lord or Savior?

Or both? Can you be saved by Jesus the savior but not have any sign of His being Lord? If you continue to sin does that mean you are not really saved? Input anyone?

This is the first ride I have ridden that has made me sick. Well sober and on the first attempt. 10 beers and Kumba 6 times straight will do the same thing. Anyway this is a flight simulator at the Astronaut hall of Fame. It spins like a centrifuge at 4 g's. I think it had that affect on me because it was simulated and not the real thing. I have done those kind of g's on roller coasters and done the spins on carnival rides and such, but in those cases it was real. The wind was really in my face, I really was falling and flipping and spinning. In this case I was spinning but all I could see was a screen that showed that I wasn't spinning I was diving. The brain is a crazy thing that way it works sometimes. Otherwise the entire trip was fun, the place has grown since I went as a kid, there is a lot more to do now. With all the changes though they still believe that we successfully landed people on the moon and brought them back to earth with computers that had the power of a calculator or a cell phone maybe. crazy huh? I guess that is why Russia never made it, even though there space program was far ahead of ours.

Strange Mood

I am in a Strange mood latelly, I am torn constantly between bitterness and seeking More of God since I know I need too, I also don't seem to be able to sustain anything with Him lately. It used to be so easy. Everything is so hard now, waking up in the morning, getting up off the couch, going outside, working out. I wan't to do things, I just don't seem capable when it comes time. I let everyday waste by. All of my energy and focus ends up going to a job I hate and leaves me nothing for everything else. I want my old life back, I just don't think that is possible. Maybe even a new life that resembles my old life but only slightly different, like this time I can have beer.....

I just got a myspace page. Blogger is way easier.